A Caution about Xylitol and Your Dog by Holly Gleissner As consumers in America, we have the luxury of picking and choosing from a wide variety of foods at the grocery store. We can tailor our diets to be whatever we want, vegetarian, paleo, low cholesterol, low calorie, and the list goes on. The low calorie and/or sugar free category is one we need to be extra careful about as it has the potential to negatively affect our pets. In the marketplace, an ingredient called xylitol holds many benefits for humans. It’s sweet, like sugar, but with 40% less calories, makes a great sugar substitute! Xylitol also has positive benefits for oral health and is often seen in items such as toothpaste and chewing gum. However, it is toxic to our pets. Perhaps you are aware chocolate is also toxic, but know someone’s dog who ate a whole bag of chocolate last Halloween and is doing just fine. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, xylitol is estimated to be 100 times more toxic than chocolate. Xylitol, especially in dogs, has been shown to cause a rapid and profound drop in blood sugar. This low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, can be life threatening if left untreated. Chewing gum is an item often left in pockets or purses and is a common source of xylitol. The amount of xylitol in gum varies, but for some brands it can take as little as 2 pieces of gum to cause severe hypoglycemia and only 10 pieces to cause liver failure in your dog. Symptoms can begin within 10-60 minutes after eating and include vom- iting, weakness, depression or lethargy, incoordination, tremors, seizures, and coma. If you think your pet has eaten something that contains xylitol, call your veterinarian immediately! Rapid diagnosis and treatment are key to a posi- tive outcome. In addition to chewing gum, pediatric medications, toothpaste, candy, baked goods, and items labeled as sugar free or low calorie, all have the potential to contain xylitol. The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredient state ment provided on a food’s packaging label. You can also ask your pharmacist if you have questions about the ingre- dients in a medicine. If you do have any items in your home containing xylitol, keep them stored safely out of reach of your pets. As pet owners and animal lovers, we do our very best to protect our furry friends. I hope this information about xylitol helps keep your pets safe and healthy for many years to come. If you’re interested in learning more about xylitol toxicity in animals please visit the websites listed below. http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/xylitol-toxicity-in-dogs/4340 https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/
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